UNIT ONE: EARLY CIVILIZATIONS In this Unit we will analyze the origins, structures, and interactions of societies in the ancient world from 3500 BCE to 500 BCE
BELLRINGER (JUST WRITE THE ANSWERS) 1. What does the acronym BCE stand for? 2. What does the acronym CE stand for? 3. What event stands at the center of human history? 4. In what year did the first pair of Jordans come out? 5. What century were you born in? 6. How many continents are there, and how many oceans?
PEOPLE AND CIVILIZATION What are the components of Human Civilization? Brainstorm and make a list of all the things that people need to function.
THE BEGINNINGS OF AGRICULTURE For thousands of years, human survived by hunting game and eating edible plants Soon people discovered that by planting seeds they could grow their own food This discovery would usher in the Neolithic Revolution, or the Agricultural Revolution The shift from food gathering to food producing represents on of the great breakthroughs in history
EARLY FARMING METHODS AND THE DOMESTICATION OF ANIMALS Slash and Burn Farming- some groups of people would cut down trees and clear fields by burning it The ashes that remained would serve as fertilizer for the soil Domestication of Animals- hunters knowledge of animals played a key role in the domestication or taming of animals This practice allowed people to have a constant source of food as they tamed the animals Nomads also domesticated animals and were able to herd their animals to new pastures and watering places
VILLAGES GROW AND PROSPER Over time, people in many regions (especially in fertile river valleys) turned to farming Africa- the Nile River valley developed into an important center for growing wheat, barley, and other crops China- about 8,000 yrs ago farmers along the Yellow River cultivated a grain called millet Mexico and Central America- famers cultivated corn, beans, and squash Peru- farmers in the central Andes Mountains were able to grow tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and white potatoes
EARLY WORLD CIVILIZATIONS
VILLAGES TURN INTO CITIES As the population of farming villages increased, social relationships became more complicated Economic Changes- To grow more crops, ancient people built irrigation systems. The extra food produced allowed some people to develop skills in other areas Wheel and Sail- allowed traders to move goods over longer distances Social Changes- As special groups of workers formed, social classes with varying wealth, power, and influence began to emerge
CHARACTERISTICS OF A CIVILIZATION 1. Advanced Cities 2. Specialized Workers 3. Complex Institutions 4. Record Keeping 5. Improved Technology
TOTD Why is Record Keeping important to mankind and civilization? Explain your answer in three sentences.
BELLRINGER 1. What are the five characteristics of a civilization? 2. Where did early civilization tend to rise? 3. What is a nomad? 4. What is slash and burn farming? 5. What kind of systems did people develop to produce crops?
ACTIVATOR Imagine that no written language or alphabet existed, and it is up to you create an alphabet. Make up symbols to represent sounds or words.
THE FERTILE CRESCENT Fertile Crescent- land in southwest Asia that because of its fertility and curved shape is called the Fertile Crescent Mesopotamia- this land is also known as Mesopotamia which in Greek means land between the rivers The rivers framing Mesopotamia are the Tigris and the Euphrates, which flood once a year
SUMERIANS Around 3300 BCE (Before Common Era) the Sumerians arrived in Mesopotamia The Sumerians were attracted to the land for its good soil, but there were some challenges: Unpredictable flooding combined with little or no rain No natural barriers for protection, Sumerians were defenseless Limited natural resources This caused the Sumerians to create solutions for problems
SUMERIANS BUILD CITY-STATES Sumerians stand out in history as one of the first groups of people to form a Civilization By 3000 BCE, The Sumerians had built a number of cities, each surrounded by barley and wheat Although these cities shared the same culture, they developed their own governments with their own rulers Each city and the surrounding land it controlled formed the city-state
SUMERIAN CULTURE Polytheistic- belief in more than one god The Sumerians described their gods as doing many of the same things humans do They believed they were both immortal and all-powerful To keep the gods happy, the Sumerians built impressive ziggurats and offered them sacrifices such as animals, wine, and food
ZIGGURAT OF UR (CITY IN SUMER)
CUNEIFORM Cuneiform-system of writing created by the Sumerians Extremely important to the growth of civilization A scribe would use a stylus to press into moist clay to create symbols. The scribe would then let the clay bake in the sun to dry it out
BABYLONIAN EMPIRE From around 3000 to 2000 BCE the city-states of Sumer were almost constantly at war with each other Around 2350 BCE a man named Sargon from Akkad defeated the Sumerians and created the worlds first empire Around 2000 BCE a group of nomadic warriors known as the Amorites invaded Mesopotamia The Amorites established their capital at Babylon The Babylonian Empire reached its peak during the reign of King Hammurabi
BABYLONIAN EMPIRE
HAMMURABI S CODE Hammurabi believed that he could best unify the diverse groups of his empire by creating a single, uniform code of law Hammurabi collected existing rules, judgments, and laws and put them together to create the Code of Hammurabi The code consists of 282 specific laws Many of the laws related to property issues, and some protected women and children from unfair issues Hammurabi had the code engraved in stone and placed all over the empire
HAMMURABI S CODE If any one is committing a robbery and is caught, then he shall be put to death. If a son of a paramour or a prostitute say to his adoptive father or mother: "You are not my father, or my mother," his tongue shall be cut If a son strike his father, his hands shall be hewn off. If a man knock out the teeth of his equal, his teeth shall be knocked out If a slave says to his master: "You are not my master," if they convict him his master shall cut off his ear.
REVIEW What features gave the Fertile Crescent its name? What does the name Mesopotamia mean? What conditions made life in Mesopotamia challenging? Describe what a city-state is. What is significant about the Code of Hammurabi?
BELLRINGER 1. What two practices replaced hunting and gathering? 2. Where did early civilizations tend to develop? 3. List two characteristics of civilization. 4. What does Mesopotamia mean in Greek? 5. What does it mean for a people group to be polytheistic? 6. What is a ziggurat? 7. What was cuneiform? 8. What is significant about the Code of Hammurabi?
MUMMIFICATION 1) draw out the brains through the nostrils with an iron hook 2) using a stone, cut the side of the body and take out the bowels 3) fill the belly with myrrh and other perfumes, then sew it up 4) soak the body in mineral salt for 70 days 5) after 70 days wash the corpse and wrap the body with bandages of waxed cloth
EGYPT To the west of the Fertile Crescent another civilization rose up along the Nile River in Northeast Africa- Egypt The Nile river flows north from Lake Victoria and empties into the Mediterranean Sea Egyptians settled along the Nile because of its fertile soil The crops produced by the Nile were so abundant that the Egyptians worshiped it as a god
UPPER EGYPT AND LOWER EGYPT Upper Egypt- Because the elevation is higher the southern part of Egypt was known as Upper Egypt Lower Egypt- the land around the Nile Delta is know as Lower Egypt By 3200 BCE the villages of Egypt were under the rule of two separate kingdoms: Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt Eventually the two kingdoms united and became one
KINGDOM OF EGYPT When King Narmer united Upper and Lower Egypt he made the city of Memphis the capital (where the Upper and Lower kingdoms came together) Egyptian King- known as Pharaoh and thought to be god-kings The Pharaoh stood at the center of Egypt s religious and political structure Egyptians believed that the Pharaoh ruled after his death and had an eternal life force Because the Pharaoh lived forever his resting place was even more important that his palace
PYRAMIDS Pyramids were built to serve as a resting place for Egypt s Pharaoh Remarkable engineering achievements Egypt had a large supply of granite and limestone Pyramids reflect the strength of Egyptian civilization
EGYPTIAN CULTURE Religion- Egyptians were polytheistic. They worshiped over 2,000 different gods and goddesses. Re- sun god, Osiris-god of the dead, Isis- represented ideal mother and wife, Anubis-god of the underworld Mummification- royal and elite Egyptians were mummified to enter the other world
EGYPTIAN WRITING Development of writing was one of the keys to growth of Egyptian civilization Egyptians used a style of writing called Hieroglyphics In Hieroglyphics, a picture stood for an idea In time, the system changed so that a picture stood for a sound Early hieroglyphs were written in stone but the Egyptians soon invented a better writing surface- papyrus
ROSETTA STONE The Rosetta Stone was discovered in 1799 by soldiers of Napoleon Bonaparte in the village of Rosetta The stone was inscribed in three languages: The top was inscribed in hieroglyphics The middle was inscribed with a simpler form of hieroglyphics The bottom was written in ancient Greek
ROSETTA STONE IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM
TOTD Where does the Nile River begin and end? What happened to the kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt? Describe the Egyptian Pharaoh. True or False: Egyptians were monotheistic Why was the discovery of the Rosetta Stone significant?
BELLRINGER How was the Rosetta Stone discovered and what did this discovery lead to? Describe Egyptian Hieroglyphics. Why did the Egyptian Pharaoh s want to be buried with their earthly possessions? Name three Egyptian gods. Why did Egyptian civilization rise in the location that it did?
ACTIVATOR Pretend that you are entirely dependent upon growing food, and if you don t grow any food-you do not eat. Where in the world would you like to live to yield the most food? Explain your answer.
PLANNED CITIES ON THE INDUS Indian subcontinent- landmass that includes modern-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh This region is separated from the rest of Asia by the Hindu-Kush and Himalayas mountain ranges These mountain ranges and a large desert helped protect the Indus Valley from invasion The Indus River and the Ganges River both provide a link from the interior of the subcontinent to the sea They are carry water for irrigation and also produce silt, producing rich land for agriculture
INDUS RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATION
MONSOONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES Monsoons are seasonal winds that dominate India s climate Winter monsoon- from October to February winds from the northeast blow dry air across the country Summer monsoon- from June to October the winds shift and winds blow eastward from the southwest carrying moisture from the ocean Civilization that emerged along the Indus faced similar challenges to other early river civilizations Yearly floods were helpful, but unpredictable If the monsoon brought too little rain, crops suffered. If the monsoon brought too much rain, floods might destroy entire villages
INDIAN SUBCONTINENT MONSOON
INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION Around 2500 BCE, people in the Indus Valley began building cities mostly along the Indus River The largest cities were Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro Cities were carefully planned along a precise grid system
HARAPPAN CULTURE Agriculture shaped culture Language- Harappans developed language based on symbols similar to hieroglyphics Culture- were not warlike, animals were an important part of culture, prosperous society Religion- priests likely prayed for good harvests, fertility Trade- traded gold, silver, precious stones, brightly colored cloth, copper, lumber, and luxury goods
EARLY CIVILIZATION IN CHINA The walls of China s first cities were built over 4000 years ago China was isolated from other civilizations by natural barriers Two major river systems were important in early China: the Yellow River and the Yangtze River Environmental challenges: Yellow River flooding could be disastrous- China s Sorrow Early settlers had to provide own goods for lack of trade Invasions from the north were a problem
EARLY CIVILIZATION IN CHINA A leader of the Xia Dynasty was able to tame the waters of the Yellow River through flood control and irrigation projects The next dynasty was called the Shang Dynasty, and it was from this time period that the Chinese began keeping written records Family was the most important factor of early Chinese civilization Respect for parents and elders was extremely important Women were inferior in Chinese society, and could only improve their lives by getting married and having children
MANDATE OF HEAVEN Around 1027 BCE, the Shang Dynasty was overthrown by the Zhou Dynasty The Zhou adopted much of Shang culture Mandate of Heaven- idea that a just ruler had divine approval. A wicked or foolish king could lose the Mandate of Heaven and so lose the right to rule Mandate of Heaven became central to Chinese view of government
REVIEW What kind of environment allowed civilization to rise in south Asia? What river in south Asia is considered sacred to Hindus? What two seasons do monsoons occur in south Asia? What was China s sorrow? Describe the mandate of heaven.
BELLRINGER The mandate of heaven A) Was an idea within Chinese culture that God gives people a mandate to either go to heaven or hell B) Led many Chinese people to embrace the emperor as the lead figure in Chinese life C) Was seen by Chinese people as an injustice because the people believed that the emperor always had their best interest in mind D) Was the idea that a wicked or foolish king that lost the right to rule was justified in losing that right
BELLRINGER 1. What river was most important to the success of Egyptian civilization? 2. Why did Egyptians practice mummification and build pyramids? 3. Why was the discovery of the Rosetta Stone significant in history? 4. Name 4 specific geographic features in India (name them). 5. In which season do the people of India get a lot of rain? 6. How did the Chinese deal with the flooding of the Yellow River? 7. What institution was most important in Chinese culture? 8. What was the mandate of heaven?
ANCIENT HEBREWS Hebrews located in Palestine, in what they called Canaan The believed that God promised them this land which is a part of what is called Palestine Torah- first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible Abraham- person chosen by God to be father of Hebrew people Yahweh- name of the Hebrew God Monotheism- belief in one god
HEBREW EXODUS God commanded the Hebrews to move to Canaan, and then they moved to Egypt They moved to Egypt because of a drought and threat of famine Moses- led the Hebrews out of Egypt, known as the Exodus Joshua- led the Hebrews into the Promised Land (Canaan)
KINGDOM OF ISRAEL Saul- first king of Israel David- killed Goliath, replaced Saul as second king of Israel Solomon- one of David s sons, third king of Israel and built the First Temple in Jerusalem The Kingdom of Israel split in 922 BCE, into the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah 722 BCE- Israel falls to the Assyrians 586 BCE- Judah falls to the Babylonians, known as the Babylonian Captivity
PHOENICIANS Around 1100 BCE, the Phoenicians were the most powerful traders along the Mediterranean Sea Phoenicia was located in modern-day Lebanon Phoenician cities became important trading centers They were remarkable shipbuilders and sailors They were the first Mediterranean people to venture out of the Strait of Gibraltar
PHOENICIANS TRADING OUTPOSTS The Phoenicians set up colonies and outposts along the northern coast of Africa, modern-day Italy, and Spain Carthage was the Phoenicians most important colony One of the most important products was Tyrian purple, a dye used to give clothes color (mostly used for royalty) The Alphabet- most important legacy of the Phoenicians As they traveled the Mediterranean, the Phoenicians introduced the alphabet to their trading partners
PHOENICIANS
REVIEW Name the first 5 books of the Bible. What did Joshua accomplish that Moses could not? Name three kings of Israel. What is the name of the sea in which the Phoenicians traded? Name three characteristics of the Phoenicians.
BELLRINGER Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Where would you think the above passage came from? What kind of person wrote it? What might the writer have been going through?
ACTIVATOR What are the things that motivate people to move to other locations? Name as many as you can think of.
EARLY CIVILIZATION IN AFRICA- BANTU Migration- permanent move from one location to another Push- Pull Factors- factors that push people from an area or pull them into another area Groups of people in west Africa known as Bantuspeaking peoples occupied what is modern-day Nigeria The Bantu were skilled at farming, herding, and ironworking Over the course of about 1500 years, the Bantu migrated south and east in Africa
BANTU MIGRATIONS The Bantu may have migrated due to: After the development of agriculture, the population increased and caused people to use more land to sustain the population Because of their location and proximity to the Sahara desert, the Bantu were forced to moved south and east As the Bantu moved they searched for resources such as iron ore, hardwood, and land suitable for farming Within 1500 years they reached the southern tip of Africa
BANTU-SPEAKING PEOPLES As the Bantu migrated, they spread their culture and language The Bantu language evolved into hundreds of other languages as a result of migration, intermarriage, and interaction with other tribes Two popular Bantu languages are Zulu and Swahili
EARLY MESOAMERICAN CIVILIZATIONS- OLMEC Mesoamerica is a region stretching from central Mexico to northern Honduras Mesoamerica s first known civilization builders were a group known as the Olmec They began forming a society around 1200 BCE They lived along the Gulf Coast, a hot and humid area covered with swamps and jungle The land was fertile and good for farming
OLMEC SOCIETY Two main communities discovered by archeologists: San Lorenzo and La Venta San Lorenzo- earthen mounds, courtyards, pyramids, large stone monuments, sculpted heads (which weigh as much as 44 tons) La Venta- 100 foot high mound of earth and clay known as the Great Pyramid Prayed to a variety of nature gods and may have worshiped the spirit of the jaguar
BELLRINGER 1. What three continents border the Mediterranean Sea? 2. What was the name of the religious temples built by Sumerians? 3. Name three civilizations that were polytheistic, and one that was monotheistic? 4. Mesopotamia was located between what two rivers? 5. What direction does the Nile river flow? 6. What is significant about the discovery of the Rosetta Stone? 7. What was the Phoenicians most important contribution to civilization? 8. What group of people migrated from west Africa over the course of 1500 years, and spread their culture and language as they migrated?
WHICH ONE ARE YOU?